Love of one’s sport overrides any risks

Karen Zekan

Friday, April 5, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

There's no room for fear in a sport like bull riding.

But the thrill of beating the clock, of holding on to that three-quarter-ton beast as it kicks and fights, is tempered with a reality that cowboys can't forget.

It happened to 15-year-old Adam Turner on Saturday. His skull was cracked in less than a second when his face hit a bull's horn during a ride at the Boulder City Open Rodeo.

Turner remains in critical condition at University Medical Center -- and in Gary Laswell's prayers.

It hadn't even been a month since Laswell's family buried his cousin, Butch Laswell, after the Las Vegas-born motorcycle stuntman plummeted to his death after an ill-fated jump over a 38-foot-high bridge in Mesquite.

Gary Laswell, an avid bull rider, was in the chute waiting for his chance to ride when he heard the screams from the crowd when Turner was bucked off and hit the ground.

"He was pretty well out of it when I got to him," Laswell said. "There was blood coming out of his mouth, so I figured if I turned him on his side, it might be easier for him to breathe."

He moved the boy slowly, he said. In a few seconds, a man and woman who Laswell believes were Adam's parents, Lynn and Larry Turner, rushed up.

No ambulance or medical team was at the rodeo when the accident happened. Laswell said he stayed with Turner, keeping the boy's head still until help arrived.

Turner opened his eyes a few times and made some sounds as friends carefully took off his bulky riding clothes.

"It takes a little something out of you when you see something like that, seeing Adam get hurt," Laswell said. "Even before my cousin's accident, seeing other people get hurt, it does something to you."

What has helped the Laswell family cope with the loss of Butch was that the motorcycle stuntman was doing what he loved most when he died, relatives have said.

Experts say it was gusting 25 mph winds that knocked Laswell off course, causing him to miss the landing ramp by about a foot during the event outside Si Redd's Oasis Resort in Mesquite. The stunt attracted an estimated 15,000 spectators.

About 75 people were around the corral Saturday during Turner's accident. Troubling to the crowd was that the boy's protective gear, including a helmet designed specifically for bull riding, didn't prevent the critical brain injury.

"After it happened, when they loaded Adam up into the ambulance, my bull was still in the chute," Laswell said. "I almost told the guys to take my rope off of him ... my heart just wasn't into it."

The Turner and Laswell families are avid rodeo fans. Turner and his sister, Breanna, are members of Boulder City High School's rodeo club. Laswell competes locally in amateur events in the 40 years and over category; his 26-year-old son, Gary Laswell Jr., started riding bulls in competitions about four years ago.

Laswell said he nearly threw in the towel Saturday, thinking maybe he just needed a few days to clear his head. "But I started thinking that if I stopped then, I might not ever ride again.

"It's just like with anything else, motorcycle racing, drag racing -- there's always going to be that time when someone gets hurt. It could be me, it could be someone else ... But I guess what matters most is that you enjoy what you're doing. If you don't, it's time to stop."